Knight bill to ease firing teachers dies in committee

A bill sponsored by state Sen. Steve Knight, R-Palmdale — aimed at streamlining the process of suspending or firing a poor-performing teacher or a teacher accused of misconduct — was killed Thursday by a committee that failed to pass it on.

Knight’s Senate Bill 531 would have prevented collective-bargaining units from wiping a school employee’s record at any time and allowed school districts to begin disciplinary proceedings during summer months, among other provisions.

In a news release, Knight characterized the failure of the bill as a result of partisan politics and blamed Democrats for its failure.